Straight bar knitting machine with electromagnetic selection



Feb. 27, 1968 w. BENTLEY ETAL .STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC SELECTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed April 14, 1965 0 2K N s B C SN T m vii/7N5, 5L -i DI'IZI FIG I Feb. 27, 1968 w. BENTLEY ETAL STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC SELECTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1965 1968 w. BENTLEY ETAL 3,370,443

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC SELECTION Filed 'April 14, 1965 V 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 27, 1968 w. BENTLEY ETAL 3,370,443

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC SELECTION Filed April 14, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 \0 Q A LL Feb. 27, 1968 w. BENTLEY ETAL 3,370,443

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC SELECTION Filed April 14, 1965 6 Sheets$hee 5 1968 w. BENTLEY ETAL I 4 3,

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC SELECTION Filed April 14, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent 9 3,370,443 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH ELEQTROMAGNETIC SELECTION William Bentley, Woodhouse Eaves, and Raymond Blood,

Shepshed, England, assignors to William Cotton Limited Filed Apr. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 448,115 (Zlaims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 18, 1964, 16,162/ 64 12 Claims. (Cl. 66-82) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A straight bar knitting machine having independently movable and frictionally mounted needles in the needle bar. The needles normally move in unison with said bar to produce a plain knit fabric. Solenoid operated sliders mounted transverse of the needles at plural levels are selectively projected into the path of selective needle butts when the bar is moved upward to limit the upward movement of selected needles to form stitches other than plain; for example, tuck or miss stitches.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to knitting machines of a type having needles which are independently movable such for example as a certain type of Cottons patent straight bar knitting machine particularly disclosed in our United States Patent No. 3,292,395 and flat bed knitting machines.

In this type of knitting machine, patterning can be effected by tucking to form tuck stitches, or miss-stitching to form float threads. The tucking can be effected by some needles being raised to full height for receiving yarn and others being raised to receive yarn but-not to full height so that at the presser stage only the higher needles beards are pressed for knitting while the lower needles beards remain open under the presser to retain their yarn for tucking. The miss-stitching can be effected by holding some needles down to miss yarn while others are fully raised to receive yarn followed by lowering to knit, the yarn that is feed over the held down needles forming floats in the fabric.

An object of the invention is to provide for the needles to form tuck or float thread fabric by patterning means which is of such improved construction that the patterning can be programme controlled.

The invention provides in or for a knitting machine of the type referred to having butts on the needles, a series of selecting sliders for association with the butts, and a series of electro-mechanical devices for controlling the selecting sliders and which can be operated selectively from an electric programme control means. The electro mechanical devices may be magnets or solenoids. Conveniently there are two series of selecting sliders at different levels, one suitable for tucking by needles and the other suitable for miss-stitching by needles, and two series of the electro mechanical devices, one series for each series of selecting sliders.

The needle selecting means is applicable particularly to a Cottons Patent straight bar knitting machine of said type which has needles operable in unison for knitting but frictionally mounted for individual selection for tucking or missstitching as disclosed in said United States Patent No. 3,292,395, and to fiat bed knitting machines having a bed of needles which are independently mounted in tricks for knitting and so as to be individually selectable for tucking and miss-stitching.

The electro mechanical devices are conveniently of thin fiat form disposed on edge behind each selecting slider.

In one arrangement solenoids are disposed immediately behind the sliders to advance them by pushing forwardly. In another arrangement auxiliary sliders are dropped behind the selecting sliders and solenoids are disposed in front of butts on the auxiliary sliders to advance them and the selecting sliders by pulling on said butts. In a further arrangement the sliders have butts, and magnets pull on these butts. Advanced sliders are returned by a cam operated bar.

The foregoing and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the constructions which will now be described, as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a general cross section of relevant parts of a Cottons Patent straight bar knitting machine of the type referred to.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross section of needle selecting mechanism in the machine.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail view of modified needle selecting mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is another view of the modified selecting mechanism.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross section of a further modified needle selecting mechanism.

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the further modified needle selecting mechanism.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective View of the selecting mechanism of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a showing of a programming device.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the machine is represented by thread carriers TC, sinkers S, operated by usual slureock SL and catch bar CB and mounted in the usual sinker bar SB, usual knocking over bits K0 and bearded needles N.

In this type of machine the bearded needles N are 7 frietionally mounted in the needle bar NB so as to be capable of movement in unison with the needle bar NB and of being individually movable relative to the needle bar NB. The needle bar NB is operated by the usual mechanism comprising a cam follower lever 1 connected bracket 2 to the needle bar NE and having a cam follower la engaging the usual needle raising and lowering cam 3 on the machines main cam shaft CS, and by a cam follower lever 4 having a cam follower 5 engaging the usual presser cam 6 on the shaft CS, the cam follower 4 being connected by an arm 7 to an arm 8 which is connected by a link 9 to a bracket 10 secured to the needle bar NB. There is also a stop bar 11 for the lower end of the needles and which may have a small movement imparted to it by cam mechanism in known manner.

The lower end of each needle is formed with a butt 12.

There is also provided a needle selecting unit indicated generally at 13 and edapted to co-operate with the needle butts 12 so that when the needle bar rises, selected needles can be prevented from rising to feeding height.

There are two possible arrangements, one in which needles are held down at the low level so that they take no part in the knitting resulting in the formation of float threads for patterning purposes, and a second in which selected needles are allowed to rise only to tucking height so that these needles tuck the yarn for tuck pattern purposes, the float patterning and the tuck patterning being as well known in the art.

The needle selecting unit 13 is more clearly shown in FIGURE 2.

From this figure it will be seen that at a level L just above the needle butts 12a when the needles N are raised to a tucking height, as at N1 in FIGURE 1, there is a row of tuck selecting sliders 19, FIGURE 2, and at a level L1 just above the needle butts 12c when the needles 4 are at a low inoperative level, as at N2 FIGURE 1, there is a row of float selecting sliders 20, FIGURE 2.

The sliders 19, are slidably mounted between bars 21, 22, 23 secured together by bolts 24, 25, and the upper 'bar 21 is secured by bolts 26 to a machine rail 27. Each slider 19, 20 has an operative end 190, 26a, and a tail end 1%, 29]), the latter being directed towards each other behind parts of a common return bar 28 which is operable by suitable cam operated means to be hereinafter described.

Behind each row of sliders 19, 26 there is a row of solenoids 29, 39 each of which is of small rectangular and thin, flat form disposed on edge behind its associated slider, and between the two bars 21, 23 and intermediate bars 31, 32 secured to a common bar 33.

The bars 31, 32 have recesses to accommodate conducting wires 34, 35 from the solenoids.

A back plate 36 is secured by bolts 37, 38 to the bars 21, 23.

Each solenoid has its core 29a, a directed towards the tail 1%, 20b of its associated slider 19, 20.

The solenoids are connected by the conducting wires 34, to control means such for example as a control panel or otherwise connected to electrical programming means employing relatively moving programme carrier and reader means to be hereinafter described.

For operation of the returning bar 28 it is connected by a link 41 FIGURE 1, to a bell crank device 41 pivoted on a shaft 42 and connected by a link 43 to a cam follower lever 44 pivoted to a bracket 45 on a machine rail 46 and having a cam follower 47 engaging a cam 43 on the main cam shaft CS.

The programme carrier and reader means conveniently comprises a punched card PC FIGURE 8 and switch reader means SRM and including dropper arms such as DA having bits B1 co-operating with holes in the punched card and raised and lowered under control of a cam rod CM, cam follower CF and cam C1 or a cam shaft CS, pawl and ratchet racking means RM for racking on the punched card and comprising ratchet wheel RW, pawl P, cam follower CPI and cam C2 on the shaft CS, and electric micro switches such as MS to which the solenoids are connected.

In operation, the pattern can be set out by predetermined arrangement of holes in the punched card with the result that required different needles will tuck or miss stitch in different courses according to the desired pattern by the solenoids being operated in the required selected manner by the micro-switches to selectively operate the sliders. Those sliders which are not projected by their associated solenoids allow their associated needles to be fully raised for knitting. Those tuck sliders 19 which are projected by their solenoids 29 have their operating ends 19a overlying the butts 12a of their associated needles N so that these needles are only raised to the tucking height N1 for tucking to form tuck stitches. Those float sliders 20 which are projected by their solenoids 30 have their operating ends 200 overlying the butts 120 of their associated needles N so that these needles are retained down at a low inoperative level N2 for miss stitching to form floats.

After each selection the returning bar 28 is operated by the cam 48 to return the projected sliders so that all the sliders are then ready for re-selection by fresh holes in the punched card after being racked on.

In a modification shown in FIGURE 3 the returning bar 28 is of fiat section as shown and behind each slider 19, 20 there are further sliders 50, 51 with tail portions 50a, 51a behind the solenoids 29', 30'.

This arrangement operates substantially as before eX- cept that instead of the solenoids pushing against the rear of the sliders 19, 20, the solenoids 29', 3t) pull against the tails 50a, 51a of the additional sliders 50, 51, the movement of these sliders being imparted to the sliders 19', 20'.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a convenient form of mounting for the ends of the bar 28 in which blocks such as 52 secured to the ends of the bar 28 are slidably mounted in brackets such as 53 secured to a rail 54 in the machine there being two of the rods connected to the locks respectively.

In a further modification FIGURES 5 to 7, use is made of electro magnets 55, 56 instead of solenoids.

To co-operate with these magnets there is provided sliders such as 57, 58 mounted slidably in end bearings 59, 66 carried by a bracket 61 secured to the machine rail 54.

Depending from the sliders are butts 60, 61 adapted to be magnetically attracted and the magnets 55, 56 are disposed opposite these butts as shown.

The magnets 55, 56 are mounted on angle brackets 62, 63 and are connected by electric conductors 64 to 67 to the micro switches MS of the programming means.

The magnets 55 are associated with the butts 60 of alternate sliders such as 58 and the magnets 56 co-operate with the butts 61 of the other alternate sliders 57. This staggered arrangement enables the magnets to be of greater width and providing greater magnetic force than if the magnets are all in alignment.

Of course the solenoids ofFIGURES 1 and 3 may also be provided in a staggered arrangement enabling them to be of greater width.

The arrangement of FIGURES 5 to 7, is to pjrovide for selection of the needles to one level only i.e. to the tucking level or the miss stitching or float level, but if desired there may be a second row of the sliders to provide for selection at both these levels.

The angle bars 62, 63 have secured to them end blocks such as 68, FIGURES 5, 6, and these are slidably mounted in brackets such as 69 secured to the machine frame 54, the blocks such as 68 being connected by pivots such as 76 to the rod 40, so that this rod serves to advance Tand retract the magnets towards and away from the slider I utts.

In operation of the arrangement in FIGURE 5 the sliders 58 are shown in their normal retracted position separated from the magnets 55 so that their right hand ends are clear of the needle butts so that these needles will rise to feeding height whereas the butts 61 of the sliders 57 are shown at a stage, after the magnets have been moved by rod 40 to the slider butts, attracted by the magnets 56 and advanced thereby towards the needles, so that their right hand ends are projected into the path of their associated needle butts 120 so that these needles are allowed to rise only to tuck in height.

In the alternative arrangement for miss stitch or float patterning the sliders would be provided at the necessary lower level to hold their associated needles at the float stitch level when projected by the attraction of theirmagnets.

It will be understood that where there are sliders at only one level, these could be mounted in brackets which are upwardly and downwardly displaceable by suitable cam means to dispose the sliders at the level for tuck stitching or at the level for float stitching as and when required.

It will be understood that substantially similar needle selecting means to those particularly described are readily applicable for needle selection for tucking and float stitching in flat bed knitting machines having one or two beds of independently operable needles, for which purpose the selecting mechanism may be arranged to act on the butts of jacks disposed under the needles, and means such for example as a bar operated by suitable cam mechanism to lower the raised needles and jacks to their original level after each selection.

What we claim is:

1. A knitting machine having a straight row of needles frictionally mounted for individual selection for tucking and miss-stitching, needle butts on said needles, two series only of selecting sliders at difierent levels for direct cooperation with said needle butts suitable for tucking and miss-stitching respectively by said needles, and two series only of electro-magnetic devices of thin fiat form disposed on edge behind each selecting slider for selectively controlling the two series of selecting sliders respectively and which can be operated selectively from an electric programme control means.

2. A knitting machine having a straight row of needles frictionally mounted for individual selection for tucking and miss-stitching, needle butts on said needles, two series only of selecting sliders at difierent levels for dire-ct cooperation with said needle butts suitable for tucking and miss-stitching respectively by said needles, and two series only of solenoids disposed immediately behind the sliders to advance them by a pushing action forwardly thereof and which can be operated selectively from an electric programme control means.

3. A knitting machine having a straight row of needles frictionally mounted for individual selection for tuck and miss-stitching, needle butts on said needles, two series only of selecting sliders at diiferent levels for direct cooperation with said needle butts suitable for tucking and miss-stitching respectively by said needles, auxiliary sliders disposed behind said selecting sliders, auxiliary slider butts on said sliders, and two series only of solenoids disposed in front of said auxiliary slider butts to advance them and consequently the selecting sliders by a pulling action on said slider butts' and which can be operated selectively from an electric programme control means.

4. A knitting machine having a straight row of needles frictionally mounted for individual selection, needle butts on said needles, a series of selecting sliders for direct co-operation with said needle butts, selecting slider butts on said selecting sliders, and electro-magnets having a pulling action on said selecting slider butts and which can be operated selectively from an electric programme control means.

5. A knitting machine having a straight row of needles frictionally mounted for individual selection, needle butts on said needles, a series of selecting sliders for direct co-operation with said needle butts, selecting slider butts on said selecting sliders, electro-magnetic devices for selectively controlling the selecting sliders and which can be operated selectively from an electric programme control means, and a cam operated bar for acting on said selecting slider butts to return the selecting sliders after each selection.

6. A knitting machine having a straight row of needles, a bar in which said needles are frictionally mounted for individual selection, cam operated means operably connected to said bar for operating said bar and consequently said needles in unison, butts on said needles, a row of selecting sliders for direct cooperation with said butts, selecting slider butts on said selecting sliders, a row of electro-magnetic devices operably associated with said selecting slider butts for selectively controlling said selecting sliders and which can be selectively operated from an electric programme control means.

7. A knitting machine having a straight row of vertical needles frictionally mounted for individual selection, needle butts on said needles, at least one row of horizontal selecting sliders disposed for direct co-operation with said needle butts, selecting slider butts on said selecting sliders, a row of horizontal electro-magnetic devices disposed tor operative association with said selecting slider butts, and electric programme control means for selectively operating said electro-magnetic devices.

8. A knitting machine having a straight row of vertical needles, a cam operated vertically moving bar in which said needles are frictionally mounted, needle butts on said needles, a row of horizontal selecting sliders disposed for movement into and out of the path of said needle butts, selecting slider butts on said selecting sliders, a row of horizontal electro-magnetic devices disposed for movement into and out of moving engagement with said selecting slider butts, and electric programme control means for selectively operating said electro-magnetic devices.

9. A knitting machine having a straight row of vertical needles, a cam-operated vertically moving bar in which said needles are frictioually mounted, needle butts on said needles, a row of horizontal selecting sliders disposed for movement into and out of the path of said needle butts, at least one series of selecting slider butts on said selecting sliders, at least one row of electro-magnets disposed for operative association with said selection slider butts, means for reciprocating said row of electric magnets to and from said selecting slider butts, and electric programme control means for selectively operating said electro-magnets.

19. A knitting machine having a straight row of needles, a bar in which said needles are frictionally mounted, cam-operated means operably connected to said bar for moving the latter and consequently moving said needles in unison, butts on said needles, 3. row of selecting sliders movable for direct cooperation with said butts to selectively permit and prevent the movement on said instruments, selecting slider butts on said selecting sliders, a row of electro-magnetic devices operably associated with said selecting slider butts for selectively moving said selecting sliders, electric programme control means operably connected to said electro-magnetic devices for selectively operating the latter, and cam-operated means arranged for operable association with said selecting sliders to return the latter after their selective movement.

11. A knitting machine having a straight row of needles, a bar in which said needles are frictionally mounted, cam-operated means operably connected to said bar for moving the latter and consequently moving said needles in unison, butts on said needles, two spaced rows of selection elements which are selectively movable for selectively permitting and preventing the movements of said needles, two spaced rows of electro-magnetic devices operably associated with said selection elements for selectively moving them and which can be operated selectively from an electric programme control means, and cam operated means for operable association with said selection elements to return the latter after their selection movement.

12. A knitting machine having in combination, a straight needle bed; a series of needles each frictionally movable in longitudinal direction relative to said straight needle bed; a series of control butts for said series of needles and capable of being changeably dispositioned in said longitudinal direction relative to said straight needle bed to cause said series of needles to be likewise changeably dispositioned in said longitudinal direction relative to said straight needle bed between knitting and patterning positions; a straight needle selecting unit disposed for cooperating with said series of control butts and having, a series of selecting sliders, and a series of electro-magnetic devices which are operable selectively from electric programming control means for sliding said series of selecting sliders selectively from an inoperative position clear of said series of control butts to an operative position operable directly on said series of control butts; and means for imparting motion to said series of needles to knit only on those needles which are dispositioned in the knitting posi- 7 tion by said selective control of said selecting sliders directly on said needle cont-r01 butts.

References \Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,075,139 3/1937 Scheller 66154 2,153,342 4/1939 Ruinnet 66-75 3,035,426 5/1962 Macqueen 66154 Thurston 6650 Farmer 66154 Levine et a1. 66154 Carrotte et a1 66'154 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

RONALD FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

